Epsom salt bath?

[darth23]

Has anyone ever had a Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) bath?

Apparently very good for you but I'm unsure of how much to put in.

Your experiences are very welcome.

[Davinaaddict]

I have these 2-3 times a week after being diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency. I put in 2 beakers full and sit in it for an hour with my kindle. I believe 40 minutes is the optimal time to absorb a good amount of magnesium.

[AnthonyPandy]

So how much do you put in? Do you put bubble bath too? Is it a bath as in use a bar of soap and get clean? Or more a medicinal thing? Do you have a shower first to get clean then sit in the epsom salt bath?

[joangray38]

I started with a hand full but if I want a good soak due to the pain in my neck/ back can but up to half a packet in .

[GreenGoth89]

500g - 1kg (expensive tbh using that much but twice weekly has helped with my pain when very little else does)

[GreenGoth89]

Just use as a soak bath - put some essential oils in and relax. Have another cleaning bath another day.

[AprilLoveJ]

No more than twenty minutes is necessary. It's a diminishing return beyond that and most is absorbed the first twenty minutes anyway. Many people like to soak longer like athletes and such, and that's fine of course, but I would struggle to do that tbh even if I knew I would absorb significantly more. (I watch my iPad in the bathroom to pass the time!)

I use 1-2 cups every night in my bath depending upon how stressed/achey I am. I buy them in bulk from eBay so it works out very reasonable!! A £15 / 25kg bag lasts me about a few months.

Be warned if you have dyed hair/wear fake tan, it will strip the colour off hair/leave an orange ring around the bath. I never wash my hair in the salts now as I would have to dye it a lot more frequently. I just tie it up in a knot.

They are excellent for hypothyroid people who lose minerals easily. It's one of the best ways to increase your magnesium levels.

Oh and I put nothing else in except the salts. Any bubbles will be destroyed anyway. The salts will clean the skin very efficiently and you can have a wash using your regular soap products so you don't need to shower beforehand unless you have been rolling around in bat dung.

[Davinaaddict]

No bubble bath. I have a good long soak, then have a shower to get clean/wash hair. I use the plastic picnic type beakers you get in packs of 6 - not sure how much it equates to weight wise, I just went with what it said on the back of the bag. It's maybe as much as 500g, based on how long it takes me to get through a bag?

[AprilLoveJ]

If you can avoid showering after that's even better as you won't wash any magnesium away but I do understand why some shower afterward, to wash their hair for example. It can also seemingly dry skin out for a few hours. It isn't actually causing dry skin, your natural oils will re-appear in a couple hours. I personally love how plump and healthy my skin looks and feels after an Epsom bath. Sometimes I put in a few drops of lavender oil just for the added excitement.

Magnesium is so beneficial and extremely vital to health. Sadly too many are lacking in it, as well as vitamin D. (You may find 5000iu vitamin D3 helpful also if you have depression/anxiety, low progesterone production, certain chronic pain issues eg joint and muscle pain.)

Restless leg and aching muscles at night are also linked to poor retention of magnesium, which is why an Epsom salt bath before bed can help eliminate these and aid a more restful, relaxing sleep.

[chough]

I have a bedtime bath with a couple of handfuls of Epsom salts in, and I find it helpful for easing muscle aches as I'm recovering from an injury.
Just got some on offer in TKMaxx this morning.

[Davinaaddict]

I'll have to shower first then 😃

I usually get mine from Amazon as they do 10kg for £15 (2 bags of 5kg). Much cheaper than the supermarket!

[darth23]

I was wondering about exactly how much to put in the bath? A cup is a bit vague to me. Can you put to much in and be ill?

[chough]

darth, I can't imagine you'd be ill if you put too much in, but it would be wasteful, as it's quite expensive.
I just use handfuls, or measure out in an old teacup which I leave in the cupboard underneath the bathroom basin.
Directions for how much to use are on the pack.